This week we discussed Health Geography. Geography is very important in determining many human factors like health. Spatial analysis can help look at health trends such as obesity, disease, mental wellbeing and many others. Initially the study of health in relation to geography was called Medical Geography, which was looking at health through a geographical point of view. This point of view was followed by Health Geography, which is broader and gives more importance on the social and environmental points of view instead of the medical-centric Medical Geography.

There are 5 core ideas within Health Geography. The first idea is spatial patterning of diseases and health, which is finding health trends in relation to space, such as the famous John Snow’s cholera map. The second idea is spatial patterning of service provision, which relates health providers to medical needs. This is useful for things like creating new hospitals/clinics. The third idea is humanist approaches to Medical Geography, which relates health to social perspectives. The fourth idea is structuralist/materialist/critical approaches to Medical Geography, which links health to social constructs and equality. This is an interesting topic because health care availability usually tends to be more beneficial to the rich. The last idea is cultural approaches to Medical Geography, which highlights the cultural or local differences that might not be noticed at a broader regional/national level.